Beads
by Maryilee
Summary: A big mix-up when Eric is in charge of the hotel reservations. Originating from a writer's prompt to have the characters wake up in padded room and wonder how they got there.


"Sugar! Wake up!" Tami shook Eric's shoulder again as she looked around the small room in disbelief. She realized that both she and Eric had really tied one on last night but she didn't think they'd been arrested. "Hon!" She gave her husband's back a not so gentle shove this time.

"Hmmm? Wha..?" Eric rolled onto his back and groaned. "Why'd you let me drink so much, babe?" He flopped his forearm over his eyes.

Tami ignored his question and sat up, the covers dropping from her body. She looked down and grimaced, realizing she had slept in her dress. It had looked fabulous last night; now it looked wrinkled and she spotted a stain on the bodice. It took her a second to remember spilling part of her cosmo. "Where _are _we, Eric?"

Without removing his arm, he grinned. "Surprise! I thought I'd get us one of those theme rooms instead of just spending the night in a regular hotel."

Tami's eyes widened as she took in the padded walls and the stark décor. "Just what kind of theme did you ask for?" She knew she drove him crazy sometimes but this was taking that feeling to the extreme.

"Oh, I don't remember. Beads or something." He yawned and moved his hand down to rub his eyes. "I had to take the last room they had available."

"I don't see any beads, hon." Tami stood and turned around. "In fact, there's not much of anything in here except the bed. Where's the bathroom?" Puzzled, she stood with her hands on her hips. "This is a very strange room. What's with all the…padding?"

"Padding?" Eric finally looked around, his eyes opening wide. He propped himself up on his elbows. "Hey, where's the little pool and hot tub? I thought these kinds of rooms always came with those?"

"No hot tub, no pool and definitely no beads." Tami crossed her arms. "Right now, I'd be happy just to find a toilet. I hate to say it, babe, but I think you got ripped off."

"Hold on, I'll check my receipt and see what's going on." Eric swung his feet over the side of the bed. He reached for his pants that he had left in a heap beside the bed. Fishing around in the pockets, he pulled out scraps of paper and tossed them on the bed to sort.

Tami prowled the room and gave a squeal of triumph when one of section of padding gave way to reveal a bathroom. "Found it!"

"That's great, hon." Eric sounded preoccupied.

Tami took care of business and while washing her hands, noted a basket of goodies on the counter. Brightly colored packages nestled in the wicker and, smiling, Tami pulled one out. "Chocolate Body Paint." Interesting. "Lickable oil, massage oil." This was certainly different than the usual soaps and shampoos found in most motel rooms. Grinning, she set the bottles back in the basket. Eric would get a kick of these, and hopefully, find some uses for a few of them. She carried the whole collection out to the room.

"Look what I found, hon! A whole bas-" Tami stopped in her tracks, her mouth dropping open.

Eric was on his knees and pulling items out a drawer concealed beneath the bed. On the bed lay items Tami had only heard of, but never seen. "Yer not gonna believe the stuff I found, babe!" He turned to her and stood, holding a pair of handcuffs in one hand and a small whip in the other. His eyes danced and a grin stretched from ear to ear.

"What in the world?" Tami stepped up to Eric, set the basket on the bed and took the whip out of his hand. She turned it this way and that, shaking her head. "Just what kind of place is this?"

His expression sheepish, he pointed to the receipt on the bed. Tami snatched it up and read it quickly and she gasped and covered her mouth. "Didn't you even read this last night?"

"Well, I was a little buzzed by the time the cab dropped us off," Eric defended. "I could have sworn they said it was the beads room. I was expecting…you know…_beads_." He motioned with his hands as though parting a curtain. "Those bead dividers like from the seventies? I thought it would be a hippie type room. It sounded like fun, babe."

"Beads and bdsm are completely different things, Eric!" Tami tossed the receipt down and held the whip up, eyeing it with distaste. Her eyes narrowed and she looked at her husband. "You even think about using this stuff on me and I'll--"

Eric laughed then reached for Tami, pulling her against him. "As if I could." He dipped his head and nibbled her neck. "But you could try it on me—_ow_!" He rubbed his arm where Tami had lightly smacked him with the toy.

"You're so bad!" She tried to maintain a stern countenance but her mouth began to turn up at the corners. Tami tossed the whip on the bed and took the handcuffs from Eric's other hand and threw them in the drawer.

Raising his eyebrows, he smirked and pulled her close. "Oh, I can be very…" his mouth covered hers, lightly nipping at her lips, "…very," he dropped his head and resumed his exploration of her neck, "…bad."

Tami closed her eyes, delighting in the chills that raced up her spine. Even her scalp tingled. She loved this playful, teasing side of Eric. "Mmm…yes you can." She slipped her hands beneath Eric's t-shirt and lightly ran them over his back.

Remembering her basket of goodies, she pulled away and held up a finger. "Wait! You didn't see what I found."

Eric looked at the items with interest. "Now this is more like it!" He picked out the chocolate body paint and unscrewed the top, sniffing the contents. A slow, sexy grin spread over his face. "I feel like doing some finger painting…how about you?"

Tami took the jar from him and lay back on the bed. "I get to be the canvas." She raised an eyebrow and nodded at the ceiling, wondering what it would be like to watch and decided that it might be interesting.

Eric looked up at the mirror, then back at Tami, his eyes smoldering. _"Nice."_

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